Rivals to teammates ... friends to roommates

Grant, Antioch players will join forces at Dubuque

Grant High senior Nathan Lucas and Antioch High senior Andy Danna have both agreed to play baseball next year at the University of Dubuque, an NCAA Division III program located in Iowa.

Lucas (a second baseman) and Danna (a shortstop) have been on-field rivals for the past four years, as their high-school teams went head-to-head about a dozen times.

However, the two standout players have been teammates on summer travel teams (Kenosha Indians and Lakes Region Venom), and have enjoyed great success as teammates on the summer circuit.

"We became friends immediately when we first met," Lucas said.

Both players throw right-handed but are excellent left-handed hitters, with .400 batting averages.

They were recruited by several colleges and kept each other informed about their progress as they made their separate visits to the different colleges. "We never thought we would go to the same college," Danna stated.

Both young men were looking for a smaller midwestern college with excellent academics, strong student support, and great baseball opportunities.

Danna plans to major in computer graphic interactive media and Lucas plans to major in health wellness and recreation.

Danna and Lucas are both looking forward to being roommates, experiencing college, and playing baseball at the next level.

They also have begun talking about becoming business partners after college, utilizing their education with their passion for baseball.